Freedom, our Fundamental right

It was the office of the collector and District magistrate of Hyderabad district in the undivided Andhra Pradesh State The collector was spewing fire and angrily speaking to somebody over the telephone. ” How dare you challenge me with the consequences. You have not only illegally held a group of bonded laborers for the repayment of a loan allegedly taken by their parents and deprived them of their freedom and on top of it you are threatening me of transfer?”

The collector was a highly respected and reputed senior officer in the state. After a thorough investigation, the collector took legal action against the perpetrators of the atrocity of bonded labor. These were small-time politicians and wealthy locals. There was no proof that they had given any loan and even if they had given the loan, they would have extracted it by now, considering the extent of work that was done by the laborers.

The laborers belonged to the” Vaddera “community and are engaged in stone cutting, for generations. Hyderabad is a part of the Deccan Plateaux, had parts which had large stones, boulders, and small hillocks. These stones were quarried to level the land for construction and cut into uniform blocks to be used later for construction work. Innocent and gullible laborers were trapped by the landowners and forced to cut stones in their quarries and lands. The landowners took advantage of the illiterate and poor workers and made them work in pathetic conditions without proper food and wages. A group of landlords colluded and managed the workers in different areas and saw to it that their crime went unnoticed. Finally, due to an anonymous complaint, their crime came to notice.

The laborers were freed, and action was taken under bonded Labour System (Abolition) act 1976 and the culprits were suitably punished. 

The district collector was a fearless and dedicated officer who was always helpful toward the poor and needy. He not only ensured them their freedom, but he also rehabilitated them, and they were provided with housing by Government. They also formed a cooperative society which ensured that they were protected from exploitation. Nothing is more important than freedom and dignity and these Vadderas made sure that nobody played with these two gifts they got with great difficulty. They also made sure their children never fell prey to the exploiters by taking every legal help extended by the government.

This is based on a real-life incident that took place about 20 years ago and was in the news at that time. Unfortunately, even today bonded labor exists in some pockets, in fee India. There are sincere Government officers who fight this practice and sometimes some even lose their lives and pay for the freedom of others.